Chapter 7 Thoughts on hockey
“Every day is a great day for hockey” Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins Superstar
I have been a long time fan of hockey. I used to watch as many games as possible. Regular season and playoffs. I was really captivated by a powerhouse team in the early 1980’s, the New York Islanders. It was a team that boasted incredible superstars, tremendous foot soldiers, and a versatility that was just marvelous. That team could fight it out with the physical teams, finesse it out with the best skating teams or just grind it out with the defensive minded teams. No matter what the style the opposition was on the ice, they would prevail. It was artistry on ice watching them. The team ended up winning a mind boggling 19 consecutive playoff series. I doubt if that record will ever be surpassed. By the way, if you are really not interested in hockey or sports, you can safely skip this chapter .
Just when you thought it could not get much better , the successors to the Islanders, the Edmonton Oilers proved to be a razzle dazzle offensive team with unbelievable talent. There will probably never again be a collection of players with so much raw talent. It took me a while to appreciate the Oilers, since they dethroned the Islanders and prevented them from gaining 5 consecutive cups. But over time, I could really appreciate their grit and desire.
It was a great time for hockey with lots of offense and comparatively weaker goaltending and defensive schemes. The entertainment value for fans was enormous. The pendulum , however , has swung to lower scoring again. But the modern game is fantastic. The athletic ability of the players has improved quite a bit. Many teams have a number of skilled players, even the lowest ranked teams. Sadly, the Islanders have slipped to being one of the consistently worst teams in the league, but that’s another story.
There was ofcourse the great Wayne Gretzky. I thought the guy was a fluke at the beginning. Never have I been more wrong about a player. He had unique gifts and a vision on ice that remains unparalleled. The best way to describe it is that he saw the ice the way a spectator would from above. He knew where everyone was on the ice and therefore knew the best play to make at all times. Normally, when you are on the ice, all you see is the guy about to hit you hard. Gretzky never had that problem because of his tremendous lateral movement and peripheral vision.
From the 1980’s to now, the most common complaint has been the comparative lack of scoring. Although I think that has been on the upswing lately. The pace of the modern game is extraordinary. I tuned into last years Stanley Cup playoffs and was really pleasantly surprised. I think there’s a solid foundation there to build up a major sport rivaling football, baseball and basketball. It would probably help if there was more scoring to get the general public involved, although hockey purists like me are quite happy with the game the way it is.
I have heard a lot of ideas proposed to improve scoring- so far I think none have succeeded. I think there is one that is kind of counterintuitive , but it would work. My idea is to add one more player to the mix. I know this is radical , and at first sight seems like it would cut available space and make for a lower scoring game – bear with me here.
Diagram 9 - Hockey rink layout.
Diagram 9 shows a picture of a hockey rink layout. The 3 forwards ( the center, right wing and left wing) make either a passing play and enter the zone or they dump the puck in once they cross the center line and forecheck. The current flow of the game is very fast, but the goalies have become superb. Their equipment has also been expanded, helping their efforts. That’s why goal scoring is still low , even though the pace of the game is exciting and the players are in excellent physical shape. The issue is not with the skill level of the players or the quality of goaltending. The issue (if you want to label it an issue) is that the overall quality is excellent, everyone understands offensive and defensive systems really well, and its just hard to score.
With my proposal, the extra man would be stationed initially behind the 3 forwards and in front of the defensemen. He/She can act as a pivot between forward duty and defence duty. The extra player could participate in a more vigorous defence and try to cut down open ice in front of the goalie, that’s true. On the other hand, it would also allow for a more ferocious forecheck for a team that was interested in working in that direction. One of the standard attacks in the current format is to send two guys in for the deep forecheck, but hang back with three guys on the defence to prevent odd man breaks in the other direction. In situations that require more aggression (for example, trying to catch up in a game where you are behind), you may see a three man in deep scenario. It would probably be most effective for teams to have a complete hockey player in this role in the mold of a Bryan Trottier, or a Steve Yzerman. But the more offensive minded teams could just add a purely offensive oriented star at this position, and the more defensive minded teams could just add another defensemen at this position. All sorts of permutations are possible, and the NHL coaches could have some fun with trying these out.
With an extra guy in the mix, I think you could try a three man forecheck safely and still leave good defence to back them up. That could lead to a lot more slick plays with an odd man breaking out in front of the net while two guys dig deep behind the net. You could also see four guys in deep with two guys hanging back in some desperate situations. That could also provide some entertainment in terms of odd man breaks ( four on twos, three on ones, and some different permutations like that). There is also the possibility of gifted players of the game today, like Sidney Crosby, to be more of a rover on the ice (someone who hangs around the blueline waiting for an outlet pass). The extra guy on defence would offer up a little more freedom for roving. This could create some exciting breakaways involving top offensive starts in the game. It could also backfire because the rover deprives his team of a key defensive resource, but that just adds to the excitement.
I know this does truly sound counterintuitive , but I really think it’s worth experimenting with. It would shake up the game a little and lead to some new offensive and defensive patterns. I think that’s why the 1980’s produced such exciting hockey. The Oilers and the Islanders introduced new elements into the game that produced different playing patterns.
To do a test, you could have a couple of top notch teams like the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins play a few games with the extra man. I think it’s worth a try, especially since all other attempts to increase goal scoring , all of which seemed intuitively obvious, kind of failed miserably. So I think it’s time to go with the counterintuitive option . Heck, there’s no harm in trying it , if only for a few exhibition games. My bold prediction is that a new era of razzle dazzle hockey will be launched with teams like the Oilers or Islanders of the 80s emerging to the forefront.
Discuss and enjoy!
Notes to the 3rd edition for Chapter 7
The following site has an excellent chart that demonstrates how overall offense has diminished pretty consistently in the National Hockey League over the years. You can see it at a glance form the chart: http://www.quanthockey.com/TS/TS_GoalsPerGame.php